PM Modi did not call for national lockdown, viral screenshot is fake

Narendra Modi will be announcing a nationwide lockdown which would be stricter than last year, is viral on social media....

By Newsmeter Network  Published on  23 April 2021 11:56 AM GMT
national lockdown 2021

HYDERABAD: A screenshot of a TV9 Bharatvarsh bulletin claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be announcing a nationwide lockdown which would be stricter than last year, is viral on social media.

However, this bulletin is fake and no such broadcast was made by TV9 Bharatvarsh. Such an announcement was not made by the PM either.


FACT CHECK:

A TV 9 Bharatvarsh bulletin, dated April 7, 2021, carried a few similar texts as in the viral screenshot. The bulletin reports on a possibility of a strict lockdown in Maharashtra, according to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.


The word 'ą¤®ą¤¹ą¤¾ą¤°ą¤¾ą¤·ą„ą¤Ÿą„ą¤°' (Maharashtra) has been edited and written as 'ą¤­ą¤¾ą¤°ą¤¤' (Bharat) in the viral screenshot and the text from "ą¤®ą¤¹ą¤¾ą¤°ą¤¾ą¤·ą„ą¤Ÿą„ą¤° ą¤®ą„‡ą¤‚ ą¤²ą¤—ą„‡ą¤—ą¤¾ ą¤²ą„‰ą¤•ą¤”ą¤¾ą¤‰ą¤Ø.. ą¤…ą¤œą¤æą¤¤ ą¤Ŗą¤µą¤¾ą¤° ą¤Øą„‡ ą¤¦ą¤æą¤ ą¤øą¤‚ą¤•ą„‡ą¤¤" (Translation: "Maharashtra will face lockdown... Ajit Pawar gave hints") has been changed to "ą¤­ą¤¾ą¤°ą¤¤ ą¤®ą„‡ą¤‚ ą¤²ą¤—ą„‡ą¤—ą¤¾ ą¤²ą„‰ą¤•ą¤”ą¤¾ą¤‰ą¤Ø... ą¤Ŗą„€ą¤ą¤® ą¤®ą„‹ą¤¦ą„€ ą¤Øą„‡ ą¤¦ą¤æą¤ ą¤øą¤‚ą¤•ą„‡ą¤¤" (Translation: "India will face lockdown... PM Modi gave hints") in the viral image.

Below is a picture comparison of the two bulletins. (Top : Viral Image. Bottom: Original Image )


Also, the image of the PM used in the viral image was taken from a virtual address at the inauguration of the Bengaluru Technological Summit 2020 on November 19 last year.


Contrary to the viral claim, Modi has recently said that lockdown should be the last option and the focus should be on micro-containment. "PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday addressed the nation and appealed to state governments to resort to lockdowns as the last resort in the battle against the pandemic", read a TIMES NOW report.

https://theprint.in/india/no-need-for-lockdowns-if-all-follow-covid-protocols-says-pm-modi-in-address-to-nation/643094/

Evidently, it is clear that the TV9 Bharatvarsh bulletin that purports to claim that Modi will be announcing a nationwide lockdown stricter than last year is false. No such decision has been made by the PM.


Claim Review:PM Modi call for national lockdown
Claimed By:Social Media Users
Claim Reviewed By:Newsmeter
Claim Source:Social Media
Claim Fact Check:False
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